GOAL: National Marathon: Mission Accomplished

Tina and I did it! We completed the DC National Marathon on Sat. March 29th. Our time wasn't as great as I had hoped for but considering my recovering/ongoing knee injury, I'm quite happy. We finished at 4hours:39minutes, basically an avg 10:41min mile AND there was NO STOPPING NOR WALKING--we ran the entire time. I can't thank Tina enough bc she was my savior throughout the whole training and on actual race day. Couldn't have done it without her, seriously. She was good motivation, my guiding light.

Saturday turned out to be a perfect weather day despite some gusty winds along the waterfront in DC. We got down to RFK, where the race began, shortly before 7am, hit the porta-potties and jumped in the mix of runners. We were fortunate to have some of our coolest friends and family out along the way cheering us on. Thanks to my dad, Jacks & Todd, Erin & Jen, Tina's mom, my mom, Chris, Aunt Joy & Lenna. And of course, my sissy, Deeners. At mile 22, I saw Deena running towards me and I was excited...it was great to have her finish the last 4 miles with us and push me to finish. I needed it. Those punks had us running hills in frickin' SE Anacostia those last couple of miles and I was dying, or at least my knee was. But when we got to mile 25 and I realized I only had 1 more mile to go, I knew heaven was in sight and I was happy.

Looking back it was a great experience. I'd do it again. Sure, it was painful at times but the overall sense of accomplishment and the periodic thrills you experienced while running make it all worthwhile.

Thanks again to TINA!!!

The Good Ole Hydration Theory

A good friend of mine (Melissa) and I have birthdays 3 days apart, so when we were in college and were getting ready to celebrate our 21st, we made sure we were prepared. We had a whole game plan bc we knew that the festivities surrounding our birthday celebration were going to be bad news. Our friends were out to get us schmammered. So, we did something called the Hydration Theory, it sounds technical, I know. But truthfully it was nothing more than drinking tons of water the week before our birthday. We got super hydrated so that when our birthday nights rolled around we were able to drink everyone under the table. I think I even puked and rallied. And for me, that was unheard of. Once I puked, my night was typically over. But not the birthday night, I took it like a champ.

SOOOOOOOO...this is my plan for the upcoming marathon. I am officially HYDRATING so that I can rally my way thru race day. Except this time, there won't be any puking and rallying...just the latter!

Brown children and brown people (loose connection)

Someone I know is going to have little brown children one day...YES! Congrats to Christine & Rommie :)

On a different note, I just got back from a great orientation meeting for volunteering with the Arlington refugee relocation assistance program. Ever since I've been back from Africa, I've been reading and watching and learning a lot about the Lost Boys of Sudan and it's lead me to a further interest in refugees. I came across a posting on craigslist and figured I'd check it out. They need volunteers to help refugees get accustomed to the culture, environment and daily life here in the US, as well as plain companionship and teaching English. Most are from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and all over Africa. Sooo...heopfully, within the next couple of weeks I'll get an opportunity to work with some of them. I'm excited for the opportunity.

INJECTION

I had my follow-up appointment with the Doc re: my knee injury this morning. Bright & early. After attempting to run the treadmill last night at the gym and only getting into mile 2 when my knee started hurting, I knew what I was in for today. AN INJECTION. Didn't hurt and hopefully wont, but I'm supposed to be icing it at least 3x a day. The good news is that the Doc thinks that I'll be able to do the run. He says this may even cure the problem altogether. WOOHOO! Pray for me! I'm going to doing it kids :)

JLo Signs Up!

NEWS FLASH: JLo, ultimate booty queen, is signing up for a triathlon this fall. While pregnant she apparently put on an extra 50 pounds and to help her lose the weight, she's planning to train for a triathlon. Hmmmm.... maybe I should get my booty in that gear next.

THERAPY & YOGA

Today was my 2nd day of Physical Therapy. Seriously, it's just a room with a bunch of tards like myself doing stupid exercises that you could do on your own. I do have fun talking to everyone though, I've made friends with all the PT's. Of course, they assigned me to the BROWN PT-- I get Fahad the Yemenese :) The PLUS of therapy is getting stretched out, I never knew I could feel such a burn. But then again, I am the most inflexible person ever. Seriously in yoga class, there are like 300 pound men that can reach their toes further than I can.

Anywho, off to hot yoga again tonight. I took Grant on Monday night and he about killed me. Poor guy, I felt terrible. The room was overpacked (made me feel totally claustrophobic) and HOTTER than 105degrees. Sweat was flying off everyone, just sick. Afterwards Grant said, "At first I was worried about farting, then about vomitting on someone, and then finally about not closing my eyes...I didnt want to pass out."

He also told me "Dude I don't know about losing weight but I sure as heck lost my dignity in that dang class." He's a riot!

I'm going again tonight with Christina though and praying that it's not as packed.

Saraarrrrr's St. Patty's Themed Bachelorette Partay!

This picture cracks me up! Sararr with her pot of gold, aka a saucepan ;)

St. Patricks Day Trivia

Curious about the origins of St. Patty's Day? Well, St. Patrick was a missionary that was originally from Britain and was taken captive in Ireland. After fleeing captivity he gave his life to Christianity, becoming a deacon and eventually a bishop. In the Catholic church March 17th serves as his feast day to honor his works.

Legend has it that St. Patrick used a shamrock (3 leaf clover) to explain the trinity (Fr, Son & Holy Spirit) in his ministry.

Did you also know that the color most closely related to St. Patrick was blue? Many modern day depictions of him show him in green, but before the 20th century he was most often shown wearing blue. The green color became associated with him though bc it is one of the 3 colors of the Irish flag and most closely associated with Ireland.

*While St. Patrick is most revered in the Roman Catholic church, the Orthodox church also venerates him in several icons.

Deeners Country Bday

Friday night was my Deeny's 24th bday shindig at Nick's, a country line dancing bar in Alexandria. Jeanette and I participated in the line dancing lesson and learned 3 dances. I probably couldn't remember them for the life of me now but for some reason my memory stellar with a few beers ;) Dean & Deena did the 2step lesson and are now country dancin' fools...they rock! Pictured is Deena & Bob. Bob is a Nick's regular but boogie's down to his little hearts content. I prefer to call him Mr. Ferley.



And this picture below is of me, Deena and Ed. Deena and I have seen Ed at Nick's before and joked that he looked like our bro, BUT this picture was taken due to mom's insistence that he reminded her of Shawn. ha!

Iliotibial Band Syndrome, AKA: Tendonitis - DOH!

Just got back to the office from the orthopedist. DOH. I figured I should check out my knee pain after experiencing it within just 5 mins of my run yesterday. I had laid off running for several days and figured all was fine bc it wasn't bothering me anymore. AND of course, it's there, it's just hiding. The Dr. prescribed an anti-inflammatory, PT 3x a week until race day, and a possible injection to get me through the race. UGGGH.

Want to know what ITB is, check it out:
http://www.time-to-run.com/injuries/thebig5/itb.htm


THIS IS NOT STOPPING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

This BUD's For YOU!

My RV-Loving Hollywood BF, Matthew McConaughey, wants to name his baby Bud. I really dont have a problem with it. For him, anything goes ;) I'm a BUD kinda gal (actually I prefer Miller Lite, less carbs) I don't discriminate. And for Matthew...why not?! I dont think his baby's momma (girlfriend) is cool with this though and I suppose I can sympathize with her. BUD has a certain trailer park ring to it.

How about Amber Bach McConaughey; Michelob McConaughey; Singha McConaughey...the list goes on. Those can be future McConaughey children names.

Is Denver in the future?

After being on the market since July, my company building finally sold! Exciting and scary at the same time. While I welcome the move to Denver with the association, it's a little unnerving. The last time I moved anywhere was college and that was to the friendly south. AND it was college, no one knew each other...you had to make friends. Life's a bit different now, I'm married, my family is here, and in the long run the DC metro area is a pretty nice place to live and raise a family. I'm thinking short-term relocation, maybe 1-2 years out there. And heck, don;t like it...move back. No loss. But for the time being, Denver could be a great change of pace. And probably a much nicer, slower pace. Plus, I know I would take advantage of all the outdoor adventures...hiking, camping, kayaking, rafting...and even perfect my non-existent skiing skills. A no-brainer ;)

A lot to consider. The Castlerock area of Denver is really pretty, it's kinda the Ashburn to DC. Downtown Denver would be probably be the place to live and have a reverse commute. We'll see what happens with the relocation package they offer.

20 Mile Mark!

We did it, this past weekend Tina and I reached the 20 mile mark. Woohoo! Feeling pretty sore today and may have jacked up my knee but I'm hopeful it's just a sore muscle. I'm going to give it a couple of days to heal before beating the pavement again.

From here on out our training tapers...this weekend is only a 12 mile run, next is a 8 mile run and the following is GAME DAY.

Running with the MAYOR

YES! We'll be running with the mayor, not Marion Barry. DC Mayor Fenty will also be running the National Marathon and apparently the course passes by his father's Fleet Feet running store in DC, so we'll all give Fenty Sr. a shout-out. If it was Marion Barry we'd be running by the crack shop.

Many of you have volunteered to come out and cheer me and Tina on as we run the DC Marathon, March 29th. I can't thank you enough in advance bc I will MOST definitely need the encouragement, especially at the END. I'm getting pretty nervous too. I was out of commission for a little over a week after my return from Cabo bc of a stupid cough I developed. I think I've finally kicked it and this weekend Tina and I attempt the 20 mile run. I'm still not sold on the fact that if you can run 20, you can run 26miles. Hello...what about the last 6?

Anywho, check out the route and the website!

http://www.nationalmarathon.com/

How Much Are You Worth?!

Ok, you know it's a BAD test when the asterik reads:

*Estimations based on averages taken from advertised male and female private escort sites.

NICE! Check out this link to find out how much you are worth!

http://hellarity.us/in-bed/index.php

I beat out my coworkers :)